Horseshoe-nail



(No Model.)

J. 0. KEARNS.

HORSESHOE NAIL.

Patented July 21 UNITED STATES PATENT CFFIGE.

JOHN o. KEARNS, on MAITLAND, PENNSYLNANIA.

HORSESHOE-NAIL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 322,542, dated July 21,1885.

Application filed August 12, 1884. (No model.)

T0 aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN C. KEARNS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Maitland, in the county of Miffiin and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inHorseshoe-Nails, of which the following is a specification, referencebeing had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to the manufacture of nails, and has for its objectthe provision of a nail which shall be cheaper and lighter by reason ofits having less metal, which shall displace less of the material intowhich it is driven, thereby making a smaller aperture, which shall havegreater bearing or frictional surface, and at the same time have greaterholding or clinchingpower, and thereby securing articles together morefirmly than is possible with the forms of nails heretofore known. Theinvention is particularly adapted to the manufacture of horseshoenails.

I have shown as the principal figures in the drawings hereunto attachedviews of a horseshoe-nail, and will hereinafter especially describe myinvention as applied to nails of this description; but at the same timeit will be apparent that nails of every description may be made inaccordance with my invention.

In the drawings, Figures 1 and. 2 represent opposite sides of ahorseshoe-nail provided with my invention. Figs. 3 and 4 represent viewson the lines 00 m and y y, respectively, of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 represents anail, designed for use in holding articles of wood together, providedwith my improvement. Fig. 6 is a sectional view on the line 2 z of Fig.5, and Fig. 7 represents a cross-sectional view of a modified .form of anail having my invention.

Similar letters of reference in the several drawings denote like parts.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a horseshoe-nail, one surface ofwhich is provided with a deep V- shaped groove, a,extending from theupper edge of its head to apoint, 1), near the point of the nail, asshown. From the point b the sides of the groove are inclined toward eachother, and finally terminate at a point, I). It will be observed thatthe termination of the groove between the points I) b is very gradual,and therefore presents no abrupt shoulders to obstruct the driving ofthe nail.

a a represent similar V-shaped grooves formed through the head of thenail at each side of and parallel with the central groove, a. Thegrooves above described are shown in Fig. 2, the opposite surface of thenail shown in Fig. 1, being provided with two parallel grooves, c 0,smaller than the groove a, and terminating at their ends in a similarmanner.

By reference to sectional Figs. 3 and 4, it will be seen that thecentral. longitudinal groove, a, upon one side is placed between grooves0 0 upon the opposite side of the nail, giving the nail the appearancerepresented in said cross-sections.

At each side of and parallel with the grooves 0, I provide grooves c,which extend through the head of the nail.

The body of the nail is made tapering from its head to the point d, inthe usual manner, and it will therefore be seen that the longitudinalgrooves a and 0 will receive the bony substance of the hoof as the nailis driven in, whereby the nail will be more firmly clinched than wouldbe the case in the use of a nail having an ungrooved surface.

The grooves increase the frictional surface to the nail besides makingit lighter and clinching it on the hoof,thereby more securely holding itagainst lateral displacement, owing to lateral straining,which is due tothe efforts of thehorse in drawing the load.

Figs. 5, 6, and 7 represent the invention as applied to nails for use inwood.

By'means of the grooves in the head of the nail the angles therebyformed in the metal serve to more firmly secure the head in the eye ofthe shoe.

It is obvious that the grooves in the head can be omitted; also that theform and size of the grooves in the head or body of the nail can bechanged, without departing from the principle or sacrificing theadvantages of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, I would have it understoodthal I do not limit myself to the precise construction shown anddescribed; but

\Vhat I do claim is-* 1. A nail having two grooves formed upon ICO onesurface, and a single groove formed upon ternately arranged uponopposite surfaces the opposite surface and placed thereon at a thereof,substantially as described. IO point between the double grooves of there- In testimony whereofI aifix my signature in v erse surface,substantially as described. presence of two witnesses.

2. Anailhavinglougitudinalgroovesformed JOHN G. KEARNS.

in its body and short; head grooves parallel \Vitnesses:

therewith, substantially as described. JOSEPH Fomnss'r, 3. A nail havinglongitudinal grooves al- .Tos. R. EDsON.

